Closure means or cap for pumps



Oct. 3, 1933. E. E. GREVE CLOSURE MEANS OR CAP FOR PUMPS Filed May 11928 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR 6 Oct. 3, 1933. E. E. GREVE CLOSURE?MEANS OR CAP FOR PUMPS Filed May 10, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ill LFEIII wmlllllllllll IIL. UNIN INV'ENTOR Patented Oct. 3, 1933 PATENT OFFICECLOSURE MEANS on CAP FOR PUMPS Edgar E. Greve, Bellevue, Pa., assignor,by

mesne assignments, to Oil Well Supply Company; Pittsburgh, 2a., acorporation of New Jersey Application May 10, 1928. Serial No. 276,598 4Claims. (Cl. 103-228) My invention relates to closure means or capsparticularly designed for use in connection with valve mechanismemployed for the water cylin ders of high pressure pumps of thecharacter employed in the oil fields.

The valve mechanism commonly employed includes a plurality of valvesespecially designed for handling heavy fluids. These valves are locatedadjacent the top of the cylinder and are utilized for controlling thepassage of fluids through the water cylinder. The caps or closure meansa e attached to the cylinder directly over the valvesLand are utilizedfor guiding the valves while moving into and out of engagement with.

the valve seats.

The pumps most commonlyemployed in the oil fields have eight-valves and,of course, eight caps, although some pumps have as many as sixteenvalves and caps.

Heretofore, it has been the common practice to attach the caps of thecylinder by means of threaded studs, usually four being employed foreach cap, and the time and labor expended-in attaching the caps by thismethod is very considerable. In some instances, these caps have beensecured in position by crow-feet and bolts, and with this latter methodsome time has been saved, but this method of attaching is notsatisfactory, especially when the pumps are operated on high pressures.

The prime object of the present invention is to provide a cap or closureconstruction of a character designed to cooperate with the valves, whicheliminates the use of studs and other threaded parts and theiraccompanying disadvantages, and enables the caps to be efiectively andquickly positioned on and removed from the cylinders.

A further object is to provide simple and ellicient interlocking means,preferably including wedging means, said' interlocking means beingrespectively borne by the cylinder and the cap, and adapted to cooperateto securely lock the cap on the cylinder.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from thefollowing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, or will be specially pointed out herein.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate applications of myinvention:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a portionof a water cylinder, showing thecap thereon in unlocked position;

Fig. 2 is a part vertical sectional and a part elevational view, showingthe cap in locked position on the cylinder;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing a modified form;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a modified form, showing the cylinderlocking means carried by a plate detachably secured thereto by bolts,and the cap in unlocked position;

Fig. 5 is a top plan of a still further modified form;

Fig. 6 is a part vertical sectional and a part elevational view of theform of Fig. 5, showing the cap in locked position in the cylinder;

Fig. 7 is a top plan of a further modified form, particularly showing adifferent form of locking means; and

Fig. 8 is a detail elevational view, particularly showing the lockingmeans of the form of Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings, 5 indicates generally a portion of a watercylinder structure of a pump of the character extensively used in theoil fields, and 6 a valve-receiving opening disposed adjacent, the upperend of the water cylinder. The bore of said opening is enlarged, asshown at 7, to form an annular chamber, and is contracted to provide atapered annular wall 8 for the reception of a valve seat. Surroundingthe upper end of the opening 6, the cylinder is cut to form a ledge 9,said ledge 9 being designed to support a packing 10. 35

In the forms of Figs. 2 and 3, the cylinder structure adjacent theopening 6 is formed with integral lugs 11 and 11a respectively. Theselugs constitute the cylinder locking members or means, and are designedto cooperate with locking means borne by the cap closure, as hereinafterdescribed- As shown, the inner contact face of each lug is tapered,asindicated at a. The lugs 11a of the form of Fig. 3 are of slightlygreater height than the lugs of the form of Fig. 2; otherwise theportions of the cylinder shown by the two figures are similar.

The opening 6 is designed to receive a removable valve of the type sogenerally used vin pumps of this character. This valve 12 is adapted tobe seated upon an annular valve seat 13, positioned on the tapered wall8 of the cylinder structure. Valve 12, as illustrated includesdownwardly extending guide members 14 adapted to engage the interiorwall of the valve seat and with an upper guide portion 15 adapted tocooperate with means carried on a closure or cap 16 for guiding thevalve.

The cap or closure means 16 comprises a fiat annular plate portion 17having a depending annular member 18 formed with means 19 cooperatingwith the guide means 15 of the valve, and with an up-standing member20'that may be used for rotating the cap when applying and disconnectingit to the cylinder structure. In addition to the parts mentioned, thecap is formed with a plurality of spaced-apart locking means 21. Thesemeans are in the form of lugs projecting outwardly from the plateportion 17. The upper contacting faces of these lugs are tapered tocooperate with the tapering contacting faces of the locking lugs'borneby the cylinder.

In the form of Fig. 3, I have provided .a ringlikemember 22 disposedbetween-the lower face of portion 17 of the cap and the packing '10, thepurpose of this member 22 being to protect the packing from wear duringthe rotative movement of the cap when applying it to or renioving itfrom the cylinder.

The modified form of Fig. 6 shows the cylinder opening 6b of slightlydifferent shape than the openings 6 of the form of Figs. 2 and 3, andthe cylinder locking members llblocated within the opening or bore andextending below the upper surface of the cylinder, instead of projectingabove the same. This form also shows the packing 10b diiierentlylocated. The locking lugs, or members 11b in this form have taperedcontacting faces adapted to engage the tapering faces of the lockinglugs 21b of cap 16b.

In the form of Fig. '7, I provide separable wedge members 23 havingtapering faces 24 designed to be driven between the lugs 110 of thecylinder and the tapered faces of the, lugs 21c of thecap 16c.

The form of Fig. ishows a construction having the cylinder locking means11d mounted on a separable plate 25, the latter being designed to beattached to the cylinder by bolts 26.

In all of the forms illustrated, the interlocking means of the cap andcylinder are of such construction that the cap may be readily locked toand unlocked from the cylinder.

In the use of the invention, the valve being introduced through theopening in the cylinder head and placed on its seat with its stemextend-. ing upward, the cap is first lowered to its seat with theguiding portion 19 engaging the valve stem loosely. This holds the stemagainst lateral movement with only suflflcient play to permit adjustmentto its seat, with its vertical movement limited by the shoulder at thelower end of the stem 15 and with freedom for relative movementrotatably. In lowering the cap, the pro jections thereon are in verticalalignment with the space between the projections on the cylinder head,so that the cap rests loosely on its seat.

Finally, by rotating the cap through a fraction of a complete turn, theprojections thereon are brought under the projections on the cylinderhead and the cap is pressed against the packing ring on the head andheld in place firmly. By an equally quick movement, partially rotatingand then lifting the cap, it is withdrawn to permit inspection, removaland, if necessary, replacement of 'a valve.

The construction is of the simplest, the cap and the valve are singleunits easily handled and easily set in proper relation in the cylinderhead. Where a pump has a multiplicity of such valves, the inspection andrestoration of the parts takes only a small fraction of the timeinvolved with similar pumps of previous constructions.

I claim:

1. In a pump of the class described, cylinders having heads in which arevalve seats adapted to co-operate with valves having upwardly projectingstems, enlarged chambers above said valve seats and openings beyond saidchambers large enough to permit insertion and withdrawal of the valves,in combination with caps for closing said openings, said cylinder headshaving projections spaced about said openings and each of said capshaving a guiding element adapted to engage the stem of a valve withfreedom of relative movement rotatively and, to a limited extent,vertically and having spaced projections adapted to pass verticallybetween the projections about the opening and to interlock therewith andto press the cap against the head by a rotating movement of less than acomplete turn, so that the caps guide the valves and hold them in placeand are quickly removable and replaceable to permit inspection, removaland replacement of the valves.

2. The pumpof claim 1, the cylinder head carrying a packing ring locatedinwardly from its projections for engagement by the cap when the latteris inserted in position to engage the .valve stem.

3. The pump of claim 1, the cylinder head carrying a packing ringlocated inwardly from its projections for engagement by the cap when thelatter is inserted in position to engage the valve stem, the capcarrying a metal ring rotatably mounted thereon in position bearingagainst said packing ring.

4. The pump of claim 1, the cylinder head carrying a packing ringlocated outwardly from its projections and the cap having an outerportion adapted to engage said packing ring when the cap is inserted inposition to engage the valve stem.

EDGAR E. GREVE.

